How to disable antivirus on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways (MIUI 12-14)

Xiaomi’s built-in antivirus in MIUI firmware is a two-way sword: on the one hand, it protects the device from malicious applications and phishing, on the other hand, it can block legitimate files, slow down the system or conflict with third-party antiviruses such as Kaspersky or Dr.Web. The problem is especially urgent for users who install APKs from unverified sources, use modified firmware or develop Android applications.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable antivirus on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from temporarily turning off scanning to completely removing the system component (for advanced users). It is important to understand that completely removing antivirus requires unlocking the bootloader and can disrupt MIUI Security, including device search and privacy functions, so we will start with the most secure methods.

The instructions are valid for MIUI 12, 13 and 14 (including global and Chinese builds), as well as for most models released after 2018: Xiaomi 13/12/11 Series, Redmi Note 10/11/12 Pro, POCO F4/F5 and others. If your device is running on an older version (for example, MIUI 10-11), please note the section with alternative methods.

1. Temporary disabling of antivirus through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest way is to deactivate the scanning of files manually, which does not require super-user rights (root) and is reversible: the antivirus will turn on automatically after restarting or after 24 hours (depending on the version of MIUI).

To temporarily disable the protection:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Antivirus section (or Scan in older versions).
3. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
4. Turn off the switches: 🔍 Automatic scanning – stops background file verification. 📥 Scanning downloads - allows you to download APK lock-free. 🔄 Updating databases in the background – saves traffic and battery.

After this action, the antivirus will stop scanning new files, but the already installed applications will remain under surveillance.

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If you still see threat notifications after you turn off the antivirus, check Google Play Protection settings in Settings → Google → Security. This service works independently of MIUI and can also block files.

2. Stop the antivirus service through the "Task Manager"

Xiaomi Antivirus works as a system service called com.miui.guardprovider (or com.miui.securitycenter in older versions), which can be forcibly stopped, but the system can restart the service automatically - especially after a reboot or update to the MIUI.

Instructions for stopping:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Press three points (⋮) and select to show all processes.
3. In the search box, enter guardprovider or securitycenter.
4. Select the app you find and click Stop (or Forced Stop).
5. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

This method does not remove the antivirus, but only suspends it until the next start. For permanent effect, you will need to disable the auto-start service (see the next section).

3. disable auto-run antivirus (without root)

Even after a service stoppage, MIUI can automatically restart antivirus when connecting to the Internet or charging, and to avoid this, you need to limit the background activity of the application. This method does not require superuser rights, but can affect other security features (for example, device search).

How to turn off autostart:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Security (or MIUI Security) in the list.
3. Choose Battery (or Battery Use).
4. Set a limit: 🔋 Background activity → Limit. 🔄 Auto-start → Shut down.

Return to the main settings of the application and turn off notifications (optional).

After these actions, the antivirus will not start automatically, but can be activated when manually scanning or updating MIUI.

Make a backup copy of the data|Check the version. MIUI (Settings → The phone)|Disable automatic update of applications|Remember the password from Mi-account (in case of resetting)-->

4. Complete removal of antivirus with ADB (without root)

If temporary methods do not work, you can remove the antivirus through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) without obtaining superuser rights, which works on most Xiaomi devices with an unlocked bootloader, but requires a connection to a computer.

Pre-launch warnings:

⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications can lead to unstable work MIUI, Update errors or loss of features like Find Device.Be sure to back up through Settings before the procedure → Additionally. → Backup.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI to activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers. Activate USB Debugging and confirm permission.

Windows

macOS/Linux

adb devices

(Serial number of the device must be displayed).

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.guardprovider

For older versions of MIUI, you may need to:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.securitycenter

Reset the device.

If the command is successful, the antivirus will disappear from the Security menu, but some functions (for example, garbage cleaning) may not work correctly. MIUI Recovery or resetting settings.

5. Removal of antivirus with root rights (for power users)

If you have a bootloader unlocked and you have Magisk or another root rights manager installed, you can completely remove the antivirus from the system partition. This method is irreversible without flashing and can disrupt MIUI, so it is recommended only for advanced users.

Methods of disposal:

• 📁 Through the file manager with root: Install Root Explorer or FX File Manager. Go to the /system/priv-app/GuardProvider or /system/app/SecurityCenter. Remove the entire folder or rename it (for example, in the GuardProvider_bak). Clear the cache in /data/data/com.miui.guardprovider.
• 💻 Through TWRP: Boot in. TWRP Recovery. Select Advanced. → File Manager: Find and delete antivirus files in /system. Reboot.

After deleting, it is recommended to disable automatic MIUI updates, as the system can restore deleted files on the next update, and check for alternative antiviruses in Google Play, as the device will become more vulnerable to threats.

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Removing root-righted antivirus can cause a com.android.phone (network loss) error on some Xiaomi models.Be sure you have a backup before the procedure EFS-section (IMEI).

6.Alternative methods for older versions of MIUI (up to 12)

If your device is running MIUI 9-11 (e.g. Xiaomi Mi A1/A2, Redmi 4X/5A), standard methods may not work due to differences in architecture.

On Android One devices (such as Xiaomi Mi A3), Xiaomi antivirus is not available – instead, Google Play Protection is used, which can be disabled in Google settings.

7 What to do if an antivirus blocks a specific application

Sometimes you don’t have to turn off the antivirus completely – just add the application to the exceptions, this is true for developers, testers or users installing modified APKs (for example, Lucky Patcher, GameGuardian).

How to add an exception:

1. Open Security → Antivirus → Settings.
2. Select the exceptions (or white list).
3. Click Add App and select the desired APK from the list.
4. Confirm the addition.

If the application is blocked anyway:

• 🔧 Check the Google Play Protection settings (can duplicate the lock).
• 📦 Reinstall. APK from the official website of the developer.
• 🔄 Update the antivirus database (Security) → Antivirus → Update).

Applications that require root (such as the Xposed Framework) may need to completely disable the antivirus, as MIUI blocks changes to system files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi antivirus